House Hacking Tips and Tricks 21: “What is that Smell?”

House Hacking Project: Clean your Range Vent

As the title says: what is that smell??? After using some olive oil to cook with earlier in the week, an odor slowly built up and was noticeable in a short time. At first I wiped down the stove top, and cleaned the granite around it. Relief! A few hours went by, and it was as if nothing changed. The cleaning regimine spread steadily outwards, until the whole kitchen was cleaned again. But was it?

Everything was cleaned, except for the range hood. Upon pulling the screens down, it was evident that the odor was coming from them. 🙁

Into the dishwasher the filters go! Dirty side down, we have heard that the dishwasher is a great way to clean these, so it is worth a shot. This is one household chore that is easily overlooked.

We set the dishwasher for the full monty: soak, hi temp wash, hi temp rinse and dry.

Lysol is an amazing odor killer. We want to spray inside the fan housing, and also have the fans suck vapors into the exhaust system. A few minutes spraying and wiping again…

The hood in question, with the vents removed. There are no noticeable droplets inside, buy a film of oil is present. Time to get rid of that.

The dishwasher method was disappointing to say the least. Gross! It appears that the oil didn’t budge at all. To the backyard with the BBQ cleaner…

A 30 minute soak after a thorough scrub in the sink. Not much happened in this stage either :/ The next step is high temperature pressure washing, which will require a favor to be called in.

Steam cleaning with a pressure washer finally worked, after four times soaking in my favorite cleaner. With the water temperature at 195F and pressure in the 1500 psi range, I thought cutting through this oil would be a bit quicker. I am astounded by the ability of this oil vapor to adhere to this mesh. But what if you can’t access a pressure washer?

Fortunately, replacement screens are available. The manufacturer labeled on the screen led me to a website for a local company, but then led to the main seller’s site. So much for completing a quick project in the kitchen. The effort is well worth it, having cleaned and sterilized vents represents both health and fire safety issues in one fell swoop.

Enjoy Fall in Fallbrook! Walk through Main Avenue in downtown Fallbrook on Sunday, Oct. 15th from 10am-4pm and enjoy the essence of Autumn with the annual Fallbrook Harvest Faire! Faire is filled with hay rides, pony rides, handmade crafts, local foods, petting zoo, and pumpkin contests! Don’t miss the fun collection of scarecrows on display! www.fallbrookchamberofcommerce.org/events-v2/Fallbrook-Harvest-Faire_ET1117.html...

Premiering in October is the Vista Vintage & Makers Market! This is a curated marketplace devoted to offering vendors and shoppers a place to celebrate all things old, new and reimagined! Antiques and Vintage wares will be abundant alongside hand-crafted items from local artisans. A free event that’s family and pet friendly so make a day of it and enjoy all that Downtown Vista has to offer! Sunday October 15th from 10-4pm. More info at: www.vistavmm.com/...

Guests will be transported to the 1920s to the age of flappers, prohibition, bootlegging, Dali, Capone, Chanel, and the Charleston! This year you are invited to experience the Painted Lotus. Your evening will include: 5 course dinner paired with wine and cocktails, silent auction, live entertainment, gaming, handcrafted welcome gift, an evening to remember! October 14th, 2017 5 pm-10 pm www.facebook.com/events/1359618377493063/

This event gets better every year! This is what people are saying about it:

“Spectacular event with great people, exceptional food and wine pairings, and entertaining surprises; all to support a worthy cause, Charity Wings! We can’t wait to attend the next Vin d’Art.”Russ and Kristal Jabara

“One of the many events Charity Wings has planned seamlessly, is Vin D’Art. I was able to participate and enjoy the fruits of their labor last year at this event. The event was an absolute hit!”Maryam Davodi FarExecutive Director, Cancer Coping Center

“I attended the Vin d’ Art event hosted by Charity Wings, and I attend many fundraisers for nonprofits. This event was beyond my wildest imagination. First of all what they did with a vacant commercial space was nothing short of phenomenal. You really felt like you were transcended to quaint European Village where you were having a dinner and wine party with 99 of your closest friends. It never felt like a “chore or work event” I had to attend. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. You are not going to want to miss out this year’s event, it is going to be magnificent.”Tish MurryChief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos

“Vin d’Art is enchanting! From selecting my personalized etched wine glass, to the Guest Chef’s sumptuous pairings of wine and food. Each course was thoughtfully crafted and enjoyable. Good people, great food and a beautiful ambiance. Truthfully, there are a lot of formulaic fundraising dinners out there. Charity Wings has created a unique evening right down to the littlest details. Each time I use my Charity Wings wine glass, I am reminded of that night and I can’t help but smile. A great date night for a terrific community organization.”Lisa Lipsey...

In honor of the community’s German founding fathers (Olivenhain is German for "olive tree”), the long-running Oktoberfest celebration returns from noon to 4pm on Sunday Oct. 8th hosted at the Olivenhain Meeting Hall located at 432 Rancho Santa FeRoad in Encinitas. Bratwurst and hot dogs will be grilled onsite, with all the trimmings. There will also be beers by Stone Brewing and other local breweries plus live German music. About 300 to 500 usually attend the free event (dinners are $12-$20). www.olivenhain.org/?page_id=89...